Help Please

xRebelYell · May 23, 2007

Hi,
I just found a salamander in my pool but I think its sick because we put pool chemicals in the pool last night. I have no idea how salamanders live or anything. Its black with a yellow strip from its neck to its tail. Do you know anything I can do for it? Like what it should live in or what I should feed it?
Thank you so much, Kaitlyn

i_love_necturus · May 23, 2007

By yourr description I think you have a long-toed salamander, does it look like this? http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?query_src=aw_maps_geo-noam&enlarge=8253+3202+3493+0010

xRebelYell · May 23, 2007

hmm it sort of does, its more black and the yellow is less bright. I took a picture of it but it isnt that good.
http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u235/xrebelyell/LALALA009.jpg

i_love_necturus · May 23, 2007

Yup that is a Long Toed Salamander (Ambystoma macrodactylum) alright, Im 100% sure of it. Here is a page with more pics of the species http://www.caudata.org/cc/species/Ambystoma/A_macrodactylum.shtml. Care for it would be similar to this http://www.caudata.org/cc/species/Ambystoma/A_tigrinum.shtml but the setup should have more water.

caudataman · May 23, 2007

It's a long-toed salamander. I would keep it in a plastic shoe box on a damp paper towel substrate for a while. You might want to allow it to soak periodically in shallow, clean, non-chlorinated spring water for 10 or 15 minutes over the next few days to help leech out any pool chemicals it may have absorbed. This is a land salamander so swimming is not it's strong suit, so I would keep the water very shallow, about .5 inch. Long-toeds are great salamanders! Very aggressive feeders. Offer them pieces of earthworm, small crickets and other small invertebrates. The ones I had in the past really went after worms. You have a nice animal there...good luck!!!

xRebelYell · May 24, 2007

Alright thank you so much, the little guy looks much better now. I put him in an ice cream bucket with .5 inch. of water, some rocks to climb on and fake leaves so it can hide under. Hes not eatting at all though, my mom thinks we should set it free in our big park down the street since it is wild. My mom thinks it is perfect because it has a big creek, rocks, lots of bug and lots of room for it. Do you think he would be fine there?

dane_zu · May 24, 2007

I think you may want to keep it in a more terrestrial set-up, not so much water(maybe just a water dish)

i_love_necturus · May 24, 2007

I think you should release it as close to were you found thats possible (and safe), since it got in your pool I recommend letting it go at the park, sounds fin there. But if you want to keep it its your choice.

caudataman · May 24, 2007

Release is always an option. Most salamanders are typically shy at first and do best without much attention outside of feeding time. I would again recommend the damp paper towel/shoebox method, as salamanders can be maintain for years under such conditions. Leave the lid on it for a couple days in a cool, dark area and only open it for occasional observation/cleaning. After a couple days, drop in a small earthworm near him and see what happens...if he doesn't eat after a few days, let it go...

achiinto · May 25, 2007

I think you should let it go. I am not sure which province of Canada you are from. I only know the by-law in Ontario. It is possible that taking local wild salamander home is an illegal act. I will suggest that you check your local by-law.

Anyhow, you mentioned that the salamander is not eating. What have you been feeding it? I do think that it require a more land based setup as well.

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